Selena Gomez to Perform at Dallas Cowboys...

Tue, Nov 26, 2013 at 12:36 PMby User

Selena Gomez is slated to entertain audiences in Dallas and abroad as she will perform the halftime show at the annual Thanksgiving Day Cowboys tradition.

The event will publicize the start of the Salvation Army's "Red Kettle Campaign" in which Salvation Army volunteers will man posts at retail locations to ring their signature bells and encourage shoppers to remember those in need during the holiday season.

"Dallas is my hometown, and to be invited to perform on behalf of The Salvation Army is such a great honor," said Gomez on the Cowboys blog. "Giving back is so important, and I am looking forward to kicking off the iconic Red Kettle Campaign and getting those bells ringing across the nation to help families and children in need."

The Red Kettle Campaign began in San Francisco in 1891 and the partnership with the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game dates back to 1997. Gomez says she's been following the tradition, growing up in the shadows of the Cowboys' home stadium (at the Time, Texas Stadium in Irving, now gone to make way for the new home facility in Arlington).

"I don't think you can be from Texas and not watch a Cowboys Thanksgiving game," notes Gomez.

The Cowboys organization is looking forward to showcasing this home-grown talent.

"We are thrilled to have Selena kick off the Red Kettle Campaign and be a part of this time-honored tradition," said Cowboys Executive Vice President Charlotte Jones Anderson. "Her amazing performance, a national stage and huge, enthusiastic fan base will be a powerful start to Red Kettle 2013."

In support of the Red Kettle Campaign, Gomez will be manning her own "Online Red Kettle" where fans can win the opportunity to "hang out" with Gomez during an online Google Chat session later this year. Gomez is slated to perform in Tokyo after the holiday season is over.

It is also a big day for the football team itself. The Cowboys will face the Oakland Raiders in the contest, and can seal a share of the first place NFC East if they win.